RS

FRONT PAGE CONTRIBUTOR

Liz Cheney calls on Enzi to return special ObamaCare subsidy

Yesterday, Republican Senate Candidate Liz Cheney called on Senator Mike Enzi to commit to return his taxpayer-funded ObamaCare subsidy to the U.S. Treasury and to convince his Senate colleagues to do so, as well.

Tuesday Cheney called on Senator Mike Enzi and other elected officials to renounce special treatment that they will now receive under ObamaCare.

The Office of Personnel Management issued a ruling that enables Members of Congress and their staffs to buy health insurance coverage in the new ObamaCare exchanges and use the large ($5000 per individual and $11,000 per family), tax-free subsidy that they receive for their current health coverage to pay for their new ObamaCare coverage.

According to the Casper Star-Tribune, Enzi’s camp responded that he doesn’t support special treatment for lawmakers. And yesterday, in an interview, Enzi answered Cheney by saying he’s been trying to defund and dismantle ObamaCare since 2009 and will continue to do so.

It’s hard not to notice that Enzi failed to commit to return his special ObamaCare subsidy that is not available to his constituents.

This special treatment for Congress reminds me of the days before the Republican’s Contract with America when many laws did not apply to congress. The first reform promised by and accomplished pursuant to the Contract with America was to require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress. Perhaps the current Congress has forgotten that they should be treated like other citizens and not remain a privileged elite, immune from the consequences of the very laws they imposed on the rest of the country.

Cheney has also launched an online petition, No More Special Deals for Congress. It urges Senator Mike Enzi and the other elected federal officials to renounce the special deal that members of Congress and their staffs are now getting under ObamaCare. The petition can be accessed here.